ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the influence of external mechanical compression on the diffuse reflectance spectra of human skin tissue under in vivo conditions. External mechanical compression leads to a decrease in the reflectance spectra of human skin in the spectral range 400–2000 nm. Analysis of this spectra based on the diffusion approximation of the radiation transfer theory has shown that the application of the external compression weakens the absorbing and scattering properties of skin tissue due to changes in the physiological properties of human skin in vivo. The kinetics of the behavior of physiological properties of the skin (the blood content and the blood oxygenation degree, and the level of dehydration of the skin tissue) under compression are presented. The patterns of temporary changes in the optical and physiological properties of human skin during the application and release of compression are shown.
